NASCAR Chase field down to two available spots at Richmond

From left, drivers Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman. There are only two spots in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship up for grabs headed into the regular season finale at Richmond, where a first-time winner this season could snag a dramatic last-minute berth. There are only four drivers who could possibly get in on points if they don't win _ Newman, Biffle, Bowyer and Larson. Only Newman controls his own fate. (AP Photo/File)

The 2014 battle for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase spots has come down to its simplest form: just two berths remain for the postseason to be decided Saturday night at the always rambunctious Richmond International Raceway.

Of the 16 available spots, 14 have been claimed. Of that total, 13 have won races and Matt Kenseth has earned a wild-card spot as he leads those not eligible in the points. Even if Kenseth were to win on Saturday, there would still be two spots open for the 10-race “playoff.”

If Newman finishes 41st or better, he is guaranteed a spot with a repeat winner. With a new winner, all Newman needs is a 20th, with the most laps led. For Biffle, he can finish 22nd or better if there is a repeat winner or if either Kenseth and Newman win. However, with a new winner, he must scored 19 points more than Newman and ahead of Bowyer and Larson.

Bowyer and Larson are the other drivers who can advanace with a win.

“When you look at the racing (at Richmond) last year, there is no doubt that people contending for a Chase spot were racing in a way to help their cause,” said Newman, who will be driving the same chassis he drove at Fontana earlier in the season. “I think everyone has learned a lot from what happened and the consequences of it all.

“I think you may see a very different Richmond this time around.”

Biffle is prepared for the challenges of the tight track.

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“Racing is so good at Richmond because you can run two or three wide up the race track, get a run off the bottom and the tires wear out,” said Biffle. “Hopefully we can get a good run this Saturday night and secure our position in the Chase.”

The Richmond focus will be on the drivers and Chase positions, but the Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew for Denny Hamlin should draw a little interest. In the Atlanta race last Sunday night, the pit crew changed four tires and added gas in 11.0 seconds late in the race. Reportedly, JGR has developed an new air gun that will aid its cars – Hamlin and Kyle Busch – in the Chase.

Hornaday in limbo

Palmdale’s Ron Hornaday Jr., a four-time NASCAR Truck series champion, is without a ride following a legal dispute between Turner Scott Motorsports co-owners Harry Scott and Steve Turner that started last week and deprived Hornaday a chance to run in Canada last Saturday.

Hornaday, who was fourth in points until the feud erupted, was officially notified Tuesday his team had ben disbanded. And 18 people laid off. “The decision to lay off any employee is painful and we realize the effects it has on their lives,” said Scott, who went on to add the actions were “necessary and the responsible steps for all of TSM to ensure our commitment to our employees, partners and fans to be as competitive as possible.”

In 13 starts, Hornaday had 10 top-10 finishes, half in the top five. He also acknowledged he was on a race-to-race basis but now has the option of taking his own sponsors to another truck.

“I’ve got a couple races sold already with some of my sponsors that came with me, and I’m going to have to find a truck to put them on,” Hornaday told FoxSports.com “They’ve already put an installment payment in to go to Talladega, so I’m going to have to explore my options and go to some teams and say, ‘Hey, can I rent a ride from you or buy a ride?’ I’ve never done that before, but that’s what we’re going to do have to do, I guess.”

NHRA Countdown

The top seeds have been set for the six NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series that comprise the Countdown to the Championship. Doug Kaliytta (Top Fuel dragster), John Force (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycles) each have a 30-point lead heading to the start at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C.

But the real story is in those who didn’t make the top 10 needed to advance. Jack Beckman was a first-round loser at the U.S. Nationals, allowing Tim Wilkerson to get the last spot. Former champion Greg Anderson, who missed the first four events of the season due to heart surgery, also lost in the first-round and lost his spot to Jonathan Gray.

The spotlight fell on Funny Car winner Alexis DeJoria. She defeated Force in the finals to become the first female to win three national events in a single season. “I was just happy to make it to another semifinal; that was four in a row,” said DeJoria. “To make it past the semifinals, that was huge, but to win this race just builds our confidence even more and in me especially.”

Racing around SoCal

Claremont’s Jay Payne won his second top alcohol Funny Car NHRA U.S. Nationals title, and the first in his new Camaro, running 5.705 seconds to defeat first-time finalist Todd Robertson. Both had trouble, popping the burst panel, but Payne’s came later, allowing him to win. It was Payne’s first win t since 2012 (Houston). … ‘Max’ Mad Rumi, the 17-year-old from Huntington Beach will headline Friday night’s card at Pirate Speedway in San Bernardino, fresh from his expereience at the U.S. Open of Speedway bikes. It’s the usual show, from Pee Wees to speedway bikes, starting at 8 p.m. ... NHRA Summit E.T. Racing Series returns to Auto Club Dragway in Fontana on Saturday and Sunday. Spectators are $15 per day. … It’s the regular Thursday Night Thunder at the Irwindale Speedway drag strip. … Perris Auto Speedway will host Night of Destruction IV on Saturday, featuring Demo Cross, Figure 8s, Trailer Figure 8s and Spectator Racing for the final time this season. ...